The Crimson Lotus
by TabbyCatxoxo
Summary: Lucy is the princess of a fallen Empire. Natsu is the samurai sent to protect her. Natsu isn't just any random samurai though, he practices the ancient dragon style, and what do these two have to do with the crimson lotus exactly? A magic flower that holds the fate of Fiore. NaLu GaLe etc.
1. Prologue:Written in the Stars

_Chapter 1: Written in the stars_

In a land, far away lies the Fiore Empire, a _peaceful_ nation of 17,000,000 and a place filled with magic. Found in every home, bought and sold in every market place, for most magic is merely a tool, a mundane part of everyday life.

For some magic is an art and they devoted their life to its practice these are the mages, banded together in magical guilds in search of fame in fortune many such guilds dot the landscape of Fiore. However there is a certain guild in a certain town were countless legends have been made and will no doubt make legends into the future because this guild's mages also follow the path of the samurai, the warrior, and the healer.

Our story starts in the smaller empire of Hibiscus were the young princess is awakening.

"Lucy, sweetheart it's time to wake up," said the soothing voice of a beautiful woman with long blonde hair in a bun and with warm chocolate brown eyes.

She smiled down at her only child and heir to the throne as she just woke up blinking, adjusting her eyes to the sunlight pouring through her lavish room for a seven year old. The little girl could have very well been the twin of her mother if it were not for the age difference and size.

"M-Mm Mama," Lucy shrieked grabbing a hold of her mother as if one of them were about to take their last breath.

Empress Layla scooped the girl into her arms gently rocking her back in forth as if she wore a baby again.

"Quiet now sweetheart, its okay, mama's here,"

"I-I had a bad dream Mama a-and you weren't there mama," Lucy cried looking up at her mother with tearful eyes.

"It's aright Lucy, it was only a little nightmare," Layla replied soothingly as her daughter rested her head on her mother's chest.

"A nightmare," Lucy whispered questionably.

"That's right and no matter how many nightmares you may have or whether I'm on this earth or not know this Lucy,"

The little princess was silent but Layla knew her daughter was listening intently.

"Know that I love you Lucy and no matter where your adventure in life takes you, know that your father and I and all the servants in the castle will always love you no matter what and we'll always be with you in your heart, and when you look at the stars at night. Do you know why?"

Lucy nodded her head and smiled.

"Because we're celestial spirit mages and we never break our promises as if our fate was written in the stars," Lucy recited what her mother told her many times.

Layla smiled and said, "That's right sweetheart and from the day you were born your father and I sworn to always love you no matter what."

Lucy giggled, "and Aquarius, and Taurus, and Capricorn too."

"Especially Capricorn and Taurus….though it may take a while for Aquarius to warm up to you dear,"

Lucy grimaced, "but Taurus is naughty mama," she said thinking of the comments Taurus made about her mother's body that angered her dad for some reason, "Papa always scolds him."

Layla laughed, "Don't worry about that dear, Taurus means well…"

"I love celestial spirits mama," Lucy exclaimed.

"Oh I know you do sweetheart, I do too and one day you'll inherit them and make contracts with them as well,"

"Hooray," Lucy cheered with glee.

Seeing that her young daughter had finally cheered up, Layla decided to get her ready for the day.

"Come now sweetheart let's get ready for the day, I have a new friend for you to play with."

"A new spirit," Lucy questioned.

A fond smile appeared on Layla's face, "You'll have to wait and see for yourself."

_To be continued: Chapter 2: The dragon's apprentice_

**Edited: 2/23/14**


	2. Prologue:The Dragon's Apprentice

_Chapter 2: The dragon's apprentice_

"Is that him," asked a muscular man with gravity defying blood red hair and honey yellow eyes. He wore casual samurai attire that was black robe with a golden yellow trim.

"Yes Igneel, that is Natsu," said an elderly man with topaz blue eyes who was extremely short. He wore a white robe with gray trousers.

Both men radiated a powerful aura that was suppressed to hopefully not alarm the young ones they were watching. Each man had a long sword on them. Igneel's was strapped to his back with a bronze handle the only part visible. It was tucked into a white wood sheath with a red Chinese-style dragon pattern. Makarov's was strapped to his right hip and shortened to work best for him. The handle was black with a white string shortened to wrap around it, his sheath was a plain gray.

They were currently sneaking a peak at the backyard of a local orphanage for children without a clan or family. They were watching a young spiky pink haired boy with sharp charcoal colored eyes that was roughing it up with two other boys twice his size and surprisingly winning.

"You drive a hard bargain Makarov, this kid's got potential but he seems _too_ hotheaded, maybe even a little arrogant," the man called Igneel stated.

"As a fire dragon should be," Makarov replied. The young boy was now picking his nose stepping over his fallen opponents a bit clumsily.

"You insult me Makarov," Igneel stated.

Makarov chuckled, "It's like looking in a mirror, isn't it child."

The young boy seemed to have noticed his watchers and grinned at the dwarf sized elderly man.

"So, I see you changed your mind eh gramps," he said coming over to the two men, "Fairy Tail could use a killer fire mage like me right."

"Be that as it may Natsu, you are far too much of an undisciplined brat," Makarov stated glancing at his companion from the corner of his eye.

Natsu grumbled in frustration finally noticing the man who was accompanying Makarov.

"Natsu, meet Igneel," Makarov said, "from today onward you shall be his apprentice."

Natsu stared at the man taking in his whole attire and observing the way he presented himself to get an idea of what this guy was like.

"Y-you're a samurai," Natsu stated seemingly unimpressed.

"I was a samurai," Igneel corrected turning his attention back to Makarov, "I fail to see how you expect me to take on an apprentice when you know as well as I do that a storm is coming for all who practice the dragon style, Makarov."

"I know you'll protect him, Igneel," Makarov stated, "or is that not your code of honor, to honor the ones you stand by."

Igneel signed in defeat.

"Very well Makarov, I will take him in as if he were my own son," Igneel stated then squatted down so he would be on Natsu's level, "be that as it may, my wife is unable to bear a child so I will adopt you, boy, but be warned greater men then you have lost themselves to the dragon's fire."

"I will be able to handle everything you can throw my way, Igneel," Natsu said with fierce determination that surprised both the men. It was as if a flame erupted in his pupils.

"Now you see that," Makarov said, "you can see it in his eyes."

"Only time will tell," Igneel said making his leave, "Come, boy you may just survive."

XoXoXo

An elegant sliver haired woman strolled through the streets of a small village. She had piercing baby blue eyes and walked with an air of confidence for a woman that was almost completely unheard of in this world. She was called Grandeeney and she was only passing through, her goal in mind was to gather supplies.

She was dressed in peasants clothing and a sheathed sword was hidden in her clothing well.

A woman rushed past her with her husband and little daughter and turned around to look back at her.

"Excuse us miss, but you must make haste miss, the new regime samurai are gathering all the villagers for check up," said the woman as the small family stopped in their tracks.

"And it be not wise to keep them waiting," said her husband.

Grandeeney glanced at the child in her mother's arms who was shaking in fear. Grandeeney thought she was right to feel that way. The little girl couldn't have been more than three or four and had deep blue hair and deeper brown doe like eyes.

"Very well," Grandeeney said and quickly followed them. The mother suddenly hugged her child tighter.

All the villagers and Grandeeney were lined up in a parallel line, men on one side and women and children on the other. It was totally silent except the sounds of organized marching.

Grandeeney stood next to the mother that rushed past her earlier with her family the child cried silent tears.

"It will be alright, Wendy," the mother said to her child. Grandeeney wasn't so sure. There was only three armed samurai who came to check up on the peasant village, yet all of them looked as sinister as a snake.

"These are the best men your filthy village has to offer," one of them said, the leader, "simply pitiful."

He pulled out his long sword and aimed it at one man's neck.

"What difference would it make if I were to kill one of you waste of a life form right now," he said, "I'll probably be doing the world a favor."

A shiver ran through all the villagers' spine but yet they remained silent. Grandeeney had to give the guy some credit, he didn't even flinch. Then she noticed it was Wendy's father.

"Oh, so we have a cocky bastard huh," the leader samurai said his sword now at the tip of the man's Adam's apple.

Still the villagers remained silent. Grandeeney thought of these so-called samurais as the real cocky ones. An elderly woman grasped the wife of the endangered man's hand tightly. Wendy started to weep louder as her mother tried to shield her eyes from the events occurring at the same time trying to shush her.

Alas it was too late; the child had caught the wicked man's attention. He came over to them and Wendy only started crying harder.

"Women control your child," he said through clenched teeth.

"It's okay dear," said Wendy's mother, "mama's here."

This didn't help the situation as the girl began to calm down a bit from her mother's voice; the evil man yanked the child from her mother's arms' dangling her from one arm.

Wendy was screaming now, tears coming as strong as a waterfall. Her father ran over to his family and pleaded with the wicked man for mercy and offering all the valuables they had.

The evil man rolled his eyes and said, "Don't hold yourselves in such high regard peasants; there is nothing you could ever offer me."

In one quick motion the evil man toke his sworn and stabbed both of Wendy's parents in their hearts.

Grandeeney had enough, quicker than the man before her she pulled out her sword and disarmed the man and freed the child. All the villagers ran away in fear except the old women who hesitated.

"Go," Grandeeney said, "and take the child."

The old women went to grab for Wendy but Wendy wouldn't go and hid behind Grandeeney in fear but refused to leave her behind. The old women left anyway.

"Please take care of her miss," the old lady stated as she ran, "her parents would have wanted it this way."

Grandeeney found her eyes tear up. When was the last time she cried?

The samurais recovered from the shock and confusion of a whole village fleeing and their leader being overcome by a woman went to attack her drawing their swords, the leader joining them.

Suddenly a huge burst of wind burst through the air causing the samurais to hit the ground by brute force of it all.

"In this world, there are seven samurai you never want to anger," Grandeeney stated with a fierce look in her eyes, "and I am one of them."

"You, a samurai," The leader questioned, "why you look like a mere peasant."

Grandeeney was behind him in a breeze of wind and stabbed him in the back.

"Looks can be deceiving," she stated. That's one dead, two more to go.

Alas they fled just like the people they were tormenting. Grandeeney couldn't help but find the irony slightly amusing.

However she couldn't muster even a slight giggle. Wendy cried silently of her parents dead bodies her whole body shaking so hard, Grandeeney feared she would pass out.

Grandeeney quickly put her sword away as she scooped the child in her arms and started walking away from the village as the cowardly samurai had left enough supplies for the both of them.

She let Wendy get all of her tears out as they walked away from the scene of her parents' murder. The child cried herself to sleep in Grandeeney arms.

Grandeeney stopped when they reached her home and tucked her into her own bed.

She kissed her on the forehead and said, "Don't worry Wendy, I will teach you to be a strong fighter but I will also teach you to be a gentle healer."

XoXoXo

A young boy arrived at a seemingly abandoned home. As he walked in, he couldn't help but noticed all the metal pieces thrown here and there.

The place was messy as a pig's pen. Not like the boy really cared, it beat having no home. The boy glances around the inside of the building taking everything in. He had sharp blood red eyes and thick, long, and shaggy black hair.

"Who dares to intrude my home," A menacing voice asked?

"It is I Gajeel, you old fart," the young and seemingly no respect for his elders' boy said.

The menacing voice turned out to be a man with metallic gray black hair and sharper gray eyes who showed himself to his intruder.

"You flatter me," He said, "Now what do you want brat, you're either very brave or very stupid to bother me."

"Are you the one called Metallicana," Gajeel asked?

"What if I am," the man asked.

Gajeel pulled out a sword made from its sheath. It was made from black steel with an iron grip.

Now where would a kid get something like that, Metallicana wondered.

"Then I want you to train me, old man," Gajeel replied.

Metallicana smirked cockily and said, "I will, brat, only if you can survive this fight with me, and know this, Gajeel always be careful of who you draw your sword on!"

_To be continued: Chapter 3: The Crimson Lotus_

**Edited: 2/23/14**


	3. Final Prologue:The Crimson Lotus

_Chapter 3: The Crimson Lotus_

Empress Consort Layla watched as her daughter played in the courtyard garden happily. She grew many types of flowers in her garden with minimal help from the servants, and the empress mage was well proud of this fact. She grew marigolds, lavender, and many different other types of beautiful, sweet scented flowers in her garden, her personal sanctuary.

Lucy hardly ever got to leave the palace walls now, since Jude had become stricter at keeping her safe and educated. Most of the time, Lucy had to spend time studying math and English, learning royal politics, and as well as Fiore history. Layla understood her husband meant well, after all she'd one day be Empress of an empire however small it may be but still Lucy still needed to have time to just be a kid instead of that perfect little princess in his eyes.

She seemed to be enjoying the flowers as well but Layla remembered it wasn't always that way. She remembered the time Lucy had gotten stung by an itsy bitsy bumble bee when she was only five, the first time Jude felt it would be safe for Lucy to play in the garden.

"_Mama, mama a bee stung my hand and it hurts," Lucy cried running over to her mother who was having a conversation with the head maid, Hilda._

"_Oh no, Lucy I told you to be careful," Layla said examining the hand that was stung and noticing the red swelling on her palm the stinger protruding from it, "Hilda, quickly, bring be a knife, a wet rag, and some ice, lots of it wrapped in a small towel."_

"_Yes, my lady," Hilda said running off quickly._

_Layla turned her attention back to Lucy._

"_Tell me dear to you feel any dizziness or a headache, anything off at all," Layla asked her crying daughter._

"_No it just hurts mama, really bad," Lucy replied._

_Layla signed in relief, this was good to here. It meant she wouldn't need to rush a doctor to the palace._

"_Do you want me to perform the procedure, my lady," Hilda asked coming back with the things she asked for and a few other maids on hand observing and ready to help._

"_No, just hold her still, she may be more calm if I do it," Layla said as she grabbed the knife and Hilda followed orders holding the child in a tight yet comforting embrace._

_Layla breathed in and out as she scraped the bruise on her daughter's hand extracting the bee's stinger before placing the wet rag over it and then the ice filled towel._

_No harm would come to her daughter today._

_Later on Layla found her daughter still sniffling in her room but stopped abruptly when she found her._

"_When I grow up and become empress," Lucy said, "all bees will be banned from the courtyard."_

_Layla laughed lightly at her daughters determined, hard expression that looked so strange on a child, not to mention a pretty little girl._

"_Well then, I suppose you don't have to wait to you are grown up maybe, I'll have your father ban all bees from the palace right now, heaven knows he wants to do that very thing when he found out about your accident," Layla replied sitting down next to her daughter. The only thing left from the bee sting was slight redness._

"_Really," Lucy questioned in awe that her parents had the power to do such things._

"_Of course, but it's a shame that all of my precious flowers will have to suffer and those shady trees that you love to sit under on a hot sunny day," Layla said examining her finger nails._

"_Bee's are that important," Lucy asked._

"_That they are, sweetheart," Layla said, "and like how your father and I work so hard to protect you, the bees works so hard to protect the plants that grow on this earth, which is why it stung you, did you know bees pas s away after they sting someone?"_

"_It protected the flowers at the cost of its own life," Lucy asked in tears yet again. She had started to hate all bees for the action of one and really all it was trying to do was its job to protect the plants._

_Layla hugged her daughter trying to comfort her._

"_Oh, Lucy one day you'll learn that every action has its consequence and things that we may see as insignificant and little can make all the difference." She said._

That incident was almost about 2 years ago and Lucy seemed to stay out of a bee's way since then. She still enjoyed frolicking through the flowers and breathing in their sweet aroma none the less. The young princess wore a semi formal red kimono for little girls. Her hair was loose and down her shoulders and her feet were bare.

"Your daughter has grown, Layla," A masculine and familiar voice next to her.

"That she has, Igneel," Layla said glancing at her dragon companion currently in his human form, "where is that son of yours, I thought you were bringing him?"

Igneel pointed Layla in the direction to be his son had gone, surprising her daughter as she had bent over to smell another flower.

Lucy was enjoying herself as she played and frolicked through the flower imagining that she was a celestial wizard on a mission to save the empire with her loyal spirits. Each flower was a person she had saved from a monster or dark mage.

Lucy smiled bending down to sniff a lotus flower. As a reward for saving them, the flowers would let her smell their sweet scent.

"Hi there," a voice said cheerily, one she didn't recognize.

Lucy screeched turning around to see a boy who looked to be around her age with spike like pink hair that reminded Lucy of cherry blossoms and coal colored eyes. He wore a red collared shirt and khaki trousers but Lucy noticed the strangest thing about his clothing was the white scarf that he wore the looked as if it was almost made out of dragon scales.

"Who are you," The young princess questioned, "and how'd you get here?"

"I'm Natsu," he said, "and Igneel flew us here, he can turn into a dragon, you know."

"My name is Lucy," she replied then she remembered to do a small curtsey with her pink dress, "um Princess Lucy Celeste Marigold Heartfilia of the Hibiscus Empire."

The boy examined her closely.

"You're a weird one, aren't yah Luigi," Natsu said laughing now as he sat down next to her.

"I'm not weird," Lucy told him, "I'm a princess, and papa says when a princess introduces herself, she must always use her full name and who she reigns over and my name is not Luigi its Lucy!"

"Really," Natsu replied, "then how come I never heard you, I'm a mage you know, oh and a samurai."

"You're a samurai," The young blonde questioned, "like the men who guard the palace?"

"Sure, but I didn't see any of them" the young pink haired boy replied, "hey you know what, I have an idea."

"What's your idea, Natsu," Lucy questioned, tilting her head slightly to the side cutely.

"Let's be friends, Lucy," he said jumping up and down in a hyper yet easily excited manner the only little kids could possess.

"Okay," Lucy said joining him in his jumping game.

They hopped together all around the garden until they came to an abrupt pause caused by Natsu.

"Hey, why'd you stop," Lucy asked.

"Wait a second," the boy said turning to the girl that accompanied him with a stern look on his face that Lucy thought looked really silly on a young boy.

He reached out and poked her in the shoulder with his pointer finger.

"Tag, you're it," the boy said as he ran away from her laughing wildly.

"Hey, no fair," Lucy said chasing after him, "I don't want to be it!"

"Well someone has to be it," The boy replied, "catch me if you can!"

Lucy was determined; she'd definitely catch this boy who had the nerve to make her "it".

The little princess chased the samurai in training through all the flowers in the large castle courtyard laughing as they each toke turns breathing in the sweet scent of her mom's flowers.

Suddenly the pink haired boy can to a stopping point.

"Hey why'd you stop, Natsu," the cute little blonde asked.

"Look at this one, Lucy;" he said in excitement, "It's sparkly."

There in the center of a patch of pure white lotus flowers lay a single crimson one, the only one that hadn't blossomed yet, but seemed to give off an unnatural, yet eye pleasing shine.

"Wow," Lucy commented in awe, "I never saw a lotus flower this color before…but why hasn't it bloomed?"

"Beats me," he said, "Let's eat it!"

"We can't eat it, Natsu, It's a flower and people don't eat flower's, silly," Lucy replied.

Natsu grumbled, "Well I can," He said reaching for the flower.

"No, stop it," Lucy complained reaching for it as well.

Suddenly the peculiar flower bloomed as the two seven year old children reached to grab setting of a ray of golden light at its center so radiant, it reached the heavens.

The two children widened their eyes in amazement as golden glittery glow swirled around them and levitated them from the ground.

"W-What's going on," Lucy asked, "Is this magic?"

"This is so cool," Natsu exclaimed!

"Lucy, Natsu," A woman's voice cried for the children, Igneel by her side.

"Mommy," Lucy yelled for her mother!

"This….why….it….can't be," Igneel said in astonishment as the light died down as the children fainted.

The only thing left from the crimson lotus was the shine on the little blonde princess' form and the fiery glow of the pink haired dragon apprentice.

XoXoXo

A cerulean blue haired Maiko that went by the name of Levy listened intently as she poured more sake for the man she was serving had metallic gray hair and even darker eyes. She wore her normal work clothes a plain white kimono with orange leaves spread across the fabric elegantly, the orange obi matching the leaves and her hair was done in the Nihongami style. She could easily tell by his appearance that he was either a present or a former samurai.

She also would guess that the boy who was around her age with long shaggy black hair and red colored eyes was his apprentice. The apprentice was dressed similarly to the older man she was serving in khaki trousers tucked into black boots, and a black collared shirt.

Usually the petite geisha in training was very serious about her work, if only to pay for her late parents' death but the two were in the middle of an argument about magic, one of her favorite subjects in fact. She also found samurais to be interesting.

Moving to serve the other guests, she kept a listening ear on the particular duo.

"That's stupid, Metallicana how could a measly freaking flower hold _that_ much power," the apprentice said.

"It is said that the crimson lotus received its color from the sin of mankind, crimson, the color of blood," the man now identified as Metallicana said.

"What are you blabbering on about now," the boy complained.

"You just listen here you brat," he replied in anger, "long ago when the first humans roamed this earth and first discovered magic, a war broke out for power, whoever had the most magic by default had the most power, however, this angered god, so he killed off a lot of wizards causing the humans to use other means of fighting tactics such as creating weapons and becoming warriors and samurais."

"Okay, then how do dragons and this freaking flower come into this story," Gajeel asked annoyed and slightly confused yet entertained.

"Will you let me finish, Gajeel," Metallicana said.

"Now where was I," he questioned, "Oh yes, now the dragons were annoyed at the human's stupidity and felt they were not worthy to use magic, so now the war was dragons against humans, naturally humans were at a huge disadvantage so somehow god had spared the humans and gave them one advantage, god captured a dragon and had him teach a human all the magic it knew, it was incorporated into the mage and samurai fighting technique and eventually was called the dragon style."

"Using a dragon's own magic against them how sinister, geehee," Gajeel said with a slight laugh in his own unique way,

"Now no one knows exactly how the war ended, but let's just say the dragons eventually all toke up human forms and joined the ranks of the humans up until now," Metallicana said drinking his sake.

"Okay but you still didn't tell me about the flower," Gajeel yelled.

"Well the flower may only be a legend but as I said earlier the flower is supposedly the physical form of the deepest human sin, the sin of murder, when humans first found power in less than honorable ways, the sin was so strong that the power was reborn and reshaped into the flower with a magic so powerful it can overthrow nations" Metallicana said finishing his sake, "of course this is only a myth, foolish boy."

Why didn't Levy believe the flower was a legend herself, and neither did Gajeel?

_To be continued: Chapter 4: The Request and __the Prophesy _

_Author's Note: So as you could probably tell I'm not too well informed on the samurai period of Japan but hey I try my best and do some research. Oh a Maiko is basically a geisha in training and a geisha is a show girl of sorts. They provide entertainment like dancing and singing in their own Geisha House. Maiko's can be as young as nine years old but to fit my story needs, I'm making it seven. Levy just started as a maiko and her main job is to learn by watching the older maikos and geishas and serve drinks and food to the guests. Then again this knowledge isn't too relevant to my story so this will not need to be memorized._

**Edited: 3/10/14**


	4. The Request and the Prophesy

_Chapter 4: The Request and the Prophesy _

"You want to start something, fire breath," A black haired ice mage said glaring daggers at is long time rival.

"Bring it on, Ice Stripper," A familiar pink haired dragon style samurai replied getting into his sparring stance.

"Looks like their fighting again," said a blue exceed, that was named Happy munching on a fish that the beautiful barmaid/she-devil of Fairy Tail had got for him.

He watched the two rivals/friends go back in forth along with the rest of the guild members, some encouraging the fight others rolling their eyes at the common occurrence.

"Same old Natsu and Gray," said the barmaid wiping off the counter that Happy and her younger sister, Lisanna who agreed with her were sitting at along with their friend Cana who loved to drink alcohol by the barrel.

Mirajane only hopped their brawl didn't turn into an entire guild brawl…then again those were pretty fun but not so much when her brother landed on her will all the chaos. She loved Elfman and Lisanna dearly, they were her younger brother and sister after all but Elfman was much bigger and husky than her and a lot of guys at the guild so you can tell why it wasn't a pleasant experience for her.

She briefly glanced at her brother who was getting into an argument with Evergreen, a fairy obsessed female mage of the guild. Her friends Freed, Bickslow, and Laxus watched them although Laxus just looked annoyed.

Noticing that someone was watching them Laxus turned to Mirajane and waved in a more laid back manner causing Mira to blush slightly.

"Maybe I should start pulling bets on their fights," said her friend, Cana. She was a card mage and frequent alcoholic of Fairy Tail, not to mention partial gambler.

"Natsu…Gray," a menacing female voice said in a furious tone that the two now teenage boys were far too familiar with, "You two wouldn't happen to be fighting, would you?"

They turned to a gorgeous female samurai with hair as red as the shed blood of her enemies and a menacing scowl. She was dressed in a lavender battle kimono and wielded a sliver naginata but she could also magically change her armor and weaponry faster than anyone else in the world making her a force to be reckoned with and she was known around the world as the strongest woman in Fairy Tail, one of the strongest guilds imaginable.

"What, the two of us," Gray replied nervously draping an arm around Natsu, "That's nonsense, Erza."

"Yeah, we're the best of friends," Natsu agreed mimicking Gray's actions, both of them wearing nervous grins.

"I thought as much," Erza said keeping the two of them properly in check. As long as she was around to stop them the guild wouldn't break into too many battle royals that of course if she wasn't in it already for someone unintentionally ruining her strawberry cake, which she was finishing eating right now.

Everyone in the guild burst out in laughter at the usual antics of those three. Sure everyone in Fairy Tail considered each and every other member in Fairy Tail to be family those three probably showed it the most. Erza acted as a big sister to both Natsu, who she taught how to read and write after Makarov had decided to let him into the guild and Gray, who have always had a sibling like bond after their rough start. Even if they'd never admit it the two boys saw each other as brothers but sworn rivals. Some swore it was because of their opposing elemental magic.

Natsu, who used fire magic to go along with his dragon style samurai technique, a rare style indeed and Gray who used ice make magic to form his weapons, most commonly his ice katana.

Happy flew over to Natsu's shoulder, "The day is saved once again to Erza," he said jokingly.

Natsu and Gray grumbled at being the center of everyone's joy but not in a good way.

Natsu was first to bounce back, "eh, and just who's side are you on anyway, Happy," he said rubbing the look-a-like cat's head.

"It's because I'm a cat," Happy replied illogically.

Right when Natsu was about to retort the guild master walked into the guild with a serious expression all over his face causing all of Fairy Tail's members to quiet down and listen.

"Well, it seems that I have everyone's full attention," he said.

"Natsu, Gray, and Erza meet me in my office," he said continuing through the maze of guild members to get to his office, and shutting the door behind him, "A very special mission has arrived for the three of you, especially you, Natsu."

"Me," Natsu questioned, "What's so special about it?"

Sure he loved to go on challenging mission request and more but this was the first time he was asked to do a job personally….and with a team also? Well he was well known throughout Fiore for his very rare sword and magic style…Erza was also well known for being one of the strongest female samurais around…even Gray had a reputation of sorts.

"Wait…." Natsu said angrily, pointing to Gray "I have to go on a mission with him!"

"As if I would go on a mission with you, Flame Brain," Gray fired back just as loud and angry.

It was clear to everyone else that they would start yet another fight.

"Yes, both of you are going," Erza said stopping both of the boys in their tracks, "Happy and I will be going as well…to keep you guys in line."

"Mainly Erza will," Happy said laughing, "Because I'm a cat."

The two boys grumbled on their way to the master's office ignoring the looks they were receiving from everyone else along the way as Erza and Happy followed them.

XoXoXo

A certain petite woman with cerulean blue hair and the dancing skills of a geisha with the knowledge of a scholar from her love of the written language signed as she approached the bar of the Fairy Tail guild.

She had come a long way from her days of serving drinks and entertainment. Not that there was anything wrong with that, it just wasn't for her.

"You look like you could use a drink, Levy," Mirajane said cleaning the bar off, "is anything wrong?"

"Just a cup of tea would be fine Mira-san," Levy replied placing the heavy book she was previously reading on the counter. The pages were aged and yellowing and the scrip was hard to decipher, even for her, a solid script mage, "and I guess I'm just a little down because of this freaking book…it seems almost as if it was written by….a dragons claw or something."

"My, my," Mira said as she prepared the tea, "maybe Freed could help you out."

"I'd ask but Jet and Droy would never give us any alone time, you know how protective they are over me," Levy said as she tapped on the book spine in slight annoyance of her long time friends.

Levy had met both Jet and Droy at the same time, even before she got her job as a maiko. They were the only kids in the village they were from and would always play together and talk about books and magic mainly because she was the one who wanted to. However, both of them developed a crush on her and often argued about it a lot.

Personally she only liked the both of them as friends, maybe brothers and had voiced her feelings to both of them but luckily enough they still treated her the same which was good because she didn't want to lose any of her friends.

"Protective," Cana questioned sarcastically, pausing from her drinking, "sure, that's the word."

Lisanna giggled joining the conversation, "maybe they should take up more missions like Natsu and Gray, I'm sure they'll become stronger so they'll be able to protect you, Levy."

"That just it though," Levy replied, "I don't want them to protect me, I can take care of myself."

"Sure you can," Mirajane agreed with a smile, "and if you can't do it alone then you have Jet, Droy, and the rest of us here at Fairy Tail."

Levy smiled looking at all of her friends, "Thank you that means a lot coming from you, Mira-san."

"By the way, Levy," Cana said just now noticing the book the girl had that was almost as big as she was, "what is it that you're reading, it's blocking all the bar space."

"I was in the guild library when I found this book on ancient and legendary magic," Levy replied, "at first, I thought it would just be fun to read and decode but then a found…well two things actually, one, this script is extremely hard to translate and two, one of the prophesies made me think of well…a legend I heard when I was younger…and strangely enough, Natsu."

"Natsu," The takeover sisters questioned looking to the petite mage.

"Yeah," Levy said opening her book to a particular page, "Listen to this."

_A royal and dragon's descendent holds the power, of the human's accursed flower_

_Brought on by the sin of the ones before them, that they may survive though the chances are slim_

"And that's as far as I got at deciphering it," Levy said, "wasn't Natsu raised by a dragon, he could be the dragon's descendent."

Cana laughed, "You sure you read it correctly Levy, really Natsu of all people," she said jokingly, "Okay the kid's strong but….something like this…," she trailed off, shaking her head.

"Even if he was than who's the royal," Mira questioned.

"Yeah and Natsu was such a ruffian when we were younger, I think he would just set any flower on fire" Lisanna added, "in fact he probably still would."

"It was just a thought," Levy said, "and this was mere a legend….an….interesting legend."

_To be continued: Chapter 5: The Fallen Empire_


End file.
